What Does Adopted Mean is the first in the Tell Me My Story series. It captures the way a young child may begin to process their story as Maree asks, "Did I grow in your tummy like that too?" Maree knew she had been adopted but sometimes forgot what that meant. Mama answers Maree's questions and navigates a common behavior for kids processing big emotions, deflection. These adoption related books are meant to be relatable to a young audience as they process all the different questions and emotions that come with adoption. This series is loosely based on the author's own experiences as an adoptee through kinship care, a birthmother and an adoptive mother. The illustrator is the authors incredibly talented twelve year old daughter. Bear with us as we create and release this series between moments of everyday life. "I wish I had these books when my kids were little. Unfortunately there wasn't much healthy literature about adoption to choose from. As someone who advocates for the adoption community regularly, I've been asked for a book list and was so disappointed to realize in the years that have passed not much had transpired. In a moment of stubborn resolve I declared that if no one else was going to do it, I would...and here we are." -Raquel McCloud